Fall in the Dark
by Time Signature
Summary: A Leafgreenshipping story long after the anime, after all the characters have grown up. "If she had seen her foolishness long before – maybe, just maybe, she might have been fine. Maybe, just maybe, she would not be what she is right now."
1. The Rest is Silence

Fall in the Dark

A/N: This was originally a really short story based on a prompt just to pull me out of writer's block.

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. All rights belong to Satoshi Tajiri. Neither do I own "Fall in the Dark." That song is beautiful, even if you can't understand Japanese. Neither do I own the phrase "The Rest is Silence." That's from… Shakespeare?

Chapter 1: The Rest is Silence

Warning: Many minor pairings that I like (Ash/Misty, Drew/May, Paul/Dawn, Steven/Cynthia, Wallace/Winona, Riley/Cheryl, etc.) will appear in Fall in the Dark.

~oOo~

"Fauna" daintily stepped into the giant ballroom, secretly looking around at the odd scene. Below the majestic fresco (that must have cost a fortune), many gentlemen and ladies dressed in fancy clothing milled around, clinking glasses together at some tables, playing cards at another. The place looked just like a normal party – except for lacking one crucial element. No one spoke.

"So it is true," she thought. Indeed, the rumors about a silent party had been circulating around for ages. She had no idea why they would want to attend a party without talking, but of course, the commoners would never understand the thought processes of the rich. Perhaps she could have been part of the upper class by now, had she not given up on her pursuit of her dream of Pokemon Master.

She smiled sadly, remembering that when she and her two childhood friends had started their journeys, she had been the strongest battler out of the three. Now Ash had achieved his dream, she thought, as she found him with his redheaded, tomboyish fiancée near the edge of the room. Gary, too, had become a fully-fledged Pokemon professor. As for herself – she had let go of her ambition that fateful day, when she had forced her precious Venusaur too hard against the opponent's Rapidash. The day when she had killed her precious Venusaur. Now she was a simple rural country girl, scraping together money by spying on random people. And to think that she used to lecture the two boys about ethics and manners in the past! Ah, the irony.

She pursed her lips, toying with a Poke-ball hidden in the piles of lace or tulle or whatever it was that made up her poufy forest green gown. An Espeon looked up worriedly at her trainer from inside the Ultra Ball, communicating by her psychic powers, "Leaf, are you OK? You can quit, you know. Don't force yourself too hard. I've seen you do that. Please don't."

"G—"she stopped herself in time. The brunette mentally sighed in relief. She warned herself to be more careful next time. The hosts intended this "silence" to be a game; the ones who broke the stillness would be eliminated, or thrown out. She might be, considering how many mistakes she had made over the years.

She vowed that she would not make any more errors. After this mission, this life would end. She would not be the disgrace of Pallet Town, "Leaf Green," anymore. Not that anyone cared about her, anyway. Her parents disowned her once they knew what she had done. Her former friends had drifted away, and so had Gary. _Gary_. The mistake that had started it all. If she had not fallen in love with him that time – if she had seen her foolishness long before – maybe, just maybe, she might have been fine. Maybe, just maybe, she would not be what she is right now.

~oOo~

Author's Note: For those of you looking forward to Raining Stars, I'm really sorry. I had writer's block, and I started writing prompts. Combined with some inspirational music (Look up "ちょっぴり静かな東方vocalメドレー" on Youtube by copying and pasting), it's like I never had writer's block…but I still can't think about Raining Stars. I'm sorry!

This started as a drabble about a "silent party," but then the plot Bunearies started bouncing in my head, and…voila! A Leafgreenshipping story!

…Is this A/N too long? Feel free to tell me your opinions and comments on this story, or on myself.

Thanks for reading! See you soon!

Time Signature


	2. Treading on Thin Ice

Fall in the Dark

A/N: This story has me on a roll (as for now.) When I get stuck, I'll probably return to Raining Stars. Or start another story. I didn't intend this to be a parody, but the story started moving on its own. Now it's quite like a twisted parody of Cinderella.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon (that belongs to Satoshi Tajiri), or the song "Fall in the Dark."

Chapter 2: Treading on Thin Ice

~oOo~

As Leaf scanned the room for possible dangers, she felt a hand tap her shoulder. She whirled around, gripping her Espeon's ball tightly, ready to battle if need be – she did not want to, but still – and saw a man about her age wordlessly inviting her to dance. The brunette looked at him from head to toe, taking in the expensive suit, the curly golden hair, and the pocket watch peeking out from the edge of his clothing.

"Ugh, way too fancy for my taste," muttered Leaf to herself. "No style – not like Gary has." Then she froze and started lecturing herself. "I will _not_ think about that person anymore! He's the reason I have to be here, anyway!"

Apparently her reaction must have shown on her face, for the man looked at her oddly. She quickly waved her hands apologetically, indicating that she would decline his offer. As she gathered up her skirt (_way too big_ skirt) to go somewhere else, maybe the buffet, the "gentleman" grabbed her arm, trying to lead her to the dance floor. Leaf glared viciously.

"Stay away," she clearly conveyed. But either the blond was seriously dense, or he was seriously stubborn, or a combination of both, and he refused.

"Why me?" The spy wanted to pull her hair, but then the crazy hairdo that the stylist had worked on so hard would come apart, and then her salary would decrease. No, that wouldn't do.

Plan B: have Enna use Confusion on him, or something. Her Espeon, the one she had evolved from an egg, could definitely do that. Enna was one of her most treasured partners out of the ones still with her. Why – she knew. She knew, but did not want to say, so would try to convince herself otherwise. Leaf knew Enna was capable, but then she would be kicked out for "attacking a person with a Pokemon," even though it was _him_ that had provoked her, and that wouldn't do either.

Uhhhh…Leaf bit her lip, frantically trying to think of a successful escape route. Aha! I knew I was smart, she smirked.

She jerked him to a group of people nearby (she didn't know who it was, she didn't care who it was) and pleaded them with Lillipup-eyes to make him go away. The kind navy-haired man, along with his demure lady friend who had green hair reaching the _ground_, finally managed to shoo the insistent person away. Ok, scratch that. His seemingly demure lady friend was quite convincing.

…Wait, navy-haired man? Lady with ground-length green hair? I've seen them before, realized Leaf. They're…Sinnoh Stat Trainers Riley and Cheryl! Glancing around at the others in the group, the brunette just noticed something important.

"How did I get myself into a group of big-names? The Gothic-style girl/woman's Marley, the young man with exploding red bangs is Buck, and the girl with the, um, unique hairstyle (not that I can say much about that) is Miru. All of these people are Stat Trainers! Leaf, what did you do?" Gripping the emerald leaf-shaped pendant (her good-luck charm, someone had told her once) dangling from her neck, Leaf bit her lip with enough force to make herself wince. It took all of her effort not to panic out loud. It was a _silent_ party, after all.

Calming down somewhat, she regained whatever poise she had left. Think, Leaf. Use those brains. This is a party for rich people and famous people. No matter where I go, I'm going to meet people like that. It's just that the first people (well, not technically) I bumped into were these Stat Trainers. Breathe in, breathe out. At least they weren't Champions, or anything like that.

Riley elegantly raised an eyebrow. The newcomer's aura emitted panic and nervousness at meeting them; nobody at this party should be. If anything, the others were greater than themselves. That's what this gala was for – choosing a suitable wife for Gary Oak, the so-called _Prince_. It didn't seem as though she was nervous about that, for she seemed as if she didn't even care about being picked or not. The Pokemon Association only invited the older generation just out of respect for them; people like Bertha, or even his lovely wife Cheryl (not that he would ever part with her) were too old for Gary. That was a good thing, the Aura Guardian thought. Cheryl was practically the reason he lived, and if she was to be taken away…

His wife seemed to comprehend his thoughts, and she hugged her husband tightly to reassure him that she would never leave him. Smiling back at her, Riley once again started to think about the odd brunette.

Putting all the hints about her together, he arrived at the critical question: why was this girl even here?

~oOo~

Author's note: Hi, thanks for reading Chapter 2 of Fall in the Dark. It was originally not a twisted parody of Cinderella. It just…decided to become one on its own. It will end happily, but not as quickly as the actual Cinderella. So…Leaf will endure a bit more hardships. Gary will, too. He hasn't appeared, I know. He will make a grand appearance soon.

Also, I did not intend for there to be so much Aoshipping near the end; it's just how it turned out. I guess it was a subconscious thought, that Riley/Cheryl needed more love. And as for Cheryl's hair, I wanted the Stat Trainers' appearances to make a bigger impact on Leaf, so I changed the length a bit.

Thanks, and see you soon!

Time Signature


	3. Doors Better Left Closed

Fall in the Dark

A/N: Ok, I'll probably be focusing on this story more than the rest. This story just comes to me on its own, so it's easier for me to write about it (right now).

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokemon. That belongs to Satoshi Tajiri. Neither do I own "Fall in the Dark."

Chapter 3: Doors Better Left Closed

Warning(s): Mild Buck/Mira in this chapter, maybe onwards.

~oOo~

_Why was this girl even here?_

As Riley tried to find out more about the strange brunette, the other Stat Trainers began socializing nonverbally with her. Leaf realized this was her chance to figure out what this party was for. Her employer, unfortunately, had only said that it was a "silent party for the wealthy class" during her briefing. Why, she failed to understand.

Enna, from the folds of her mistress's stunning green gown, asked Leaf with her psychic powers, "Why don't you start by pulling out my Poke-ball and see how they react?"

Good point, acknowledged her trainer – no, partner. Leaf insistently believed that from that day, she had no right to consider herself as a trainer. For trainers do not kill their Pokemon. For trainers do not abandon their Pokemon.

Well, on that note, Leaf had also abandoned her family and her friends by faking her death. It was for the greater good, she reassured herself. It was, it was, it had to be!

After having a small mental conversation, the girl reached into one of the numerous pockets of her enormous dress. The other pockets contained things useful for her spying (lock picks, spy glasses, etc.) Gently grasping the shiny, black, decorative ball with her Espeon inside, Leaf showed it to the rest of the people in the group.

Their eyes widened. Psychic Pokemon had specifically been stated as forbidden during the ball; why would she not know that? Was she not one of the potential wives? She certainly seemed disinterested enough in the upcoming event. Marley questioned herself in her ability to say things about others when she was just as bored. She had absolutely no intention to become Oak Jr.'s wife. She barely knew him, anyway, only by Professor Oak Sr. mentioning him a few times in the letters of correspondence.

Mira, too, found no reason to be here. She believed staunchly that there would be no better match for her than the headstrong, immature, but caring redhead beside her – even if he was unbelievably dense and never realized how she felt.

"Then why were the Stat Trainers here?" whispered them simultaneously. There was an easy answer to an easy question: to showcase the strength of the single female Stat Trainers to the Oaks. However, there was a deeper reason: to maintain the reputation of the Pokemon Association. Humans, in essence, were twisted beings that thought only of themselves. All of the people in the group had learned that too young, too harshly.

That aside, Riley added this new turn of events into his already forming theory about the newcomer. Meanwhile, the others gestured for Leaf to hide the ball before she would be found and thrown out.

Leaf contemplated the bit of information she had gained. Pokemon were not allowed here. Come to think of it, no one had them out, considering that there were so many strong trainers around. How could she have not seen that? How many mistakes did she need to make?

Her life was _filled_ with mistakes. This life, she corrected. No matter how much good memories she had had as "Leaf Green," she needed to throw this identity away. Start anew, as a different person.

"-eaf, Leaf!" Enna's frantic cries finally pierced through the girl's deep thinking. "We have to get away from here! _He_'s here! He's coming!"

Leaf froze. Her whole body seemed to have been doused with buckets of cold water. Why? Why can't he stay away?

Enna bowed her head sadly from inside her Luxury Ball. "I'm really sorry, it's my fault. I should have stayed inside your dress, so he wouldn't have noticed. But before I explain…run!"

And so she did. Almost tripping over other people, decorations, she hiked up her floor-length skirt and ran. The only conscious thought right now was to run away from him, from her greatest mistake, from Gary. The clatter of her heeled shoes, the jingle of her earrings, the rustling of the many layers of the dress – all blended into the blurring scene. Look forward, don't look back. Whatever you do, don't look back. Memories forgotten are best kept forgotten, mouthed Leaf. She was desperate – and though she may not know it, he was, too.

~oOo~

Author's note: How did you enjoy Chapter 3 of Fall in the Dark? I'm churning out chapters for this one about once a day. I'm on a roll~

Um, as for the Buck/Mira, I needed a legitimate reason for Mira to not want to be here, not just the reason that she's not interested in Gary. As for Marley – her personality says it all, so I wasn't too worried.

Ok, other than that, what did you think about this thus far? I decided to put up a small question corner. If viewer responses are good, I might continue it. For the person who gets it right/is closest, I'll write a one-shot of his/her choice, if he/she wants.

**Question**: Why does Enna say it's her fault that Gary found where Leaf was? (Hint: Think about Gary's Pokemon team.)

Thanks for reading my stories! Feel free to request me stories about characters, themes, and the pairings I've listed/introduced up until now. This list will increase as time goes by.

See you soon!

Time Signature


	4. Promises of Broken Promises

Fall in the Dark

A/N: Only a little more to go; about 3 chapters, maybe?

Chapter 4: Promises of Broken Promises

~oOo~

Everyone turned to gaze at the strange spectacle of a girl running during a party. Hopefully her make-up would disguise her features well enough that no one would notice her, but that was only a subconscious thought inside her mind right now.

I need to get away from _him_.

She knew not where she was going; she simply knew that she must go, as well as knowing that she must go away faster than he could catch up. It was a _silent_ party – both sets of footsteps clattered eerily inside the giant hall.

Ugh! Why did this room have to be circular? The door, the door…aha!

Leaf made a beeline for the opening that she caught sight of for an instant before being hidden again by the masses of people.

She never turned back once as she dashed down the grand staircase, but perhaps she felt a little bit of _something_, and for some reason or the other (later she would hit her head against a wall for doing this) she fiddled with the clasp on her necklace…

_And threw it into a nearby bush._

Twinkling from the moonlight that escaped the clouds, it made a soft _ksh_ sound as it plopped into the leaves. She knew that he would watch it as it arced its way through the air; after all, it was the only present he had given her that she had kept for such a long time.

He did. Once he saw her do this, he stopped his chase. The former chased one could tell that from how his formal shoes no longer made sounds against the pearly marble. But, she reminded herself, I can't let my defenses down yet. Just until I reach the edge of this place. The car's waiting.

The clock struck twelve.

She slammed the door to the black car closed, and as it revved up its engines to go, she turned to the window to see him kneeling on the stairway, hands cupped to contain her pendant.

Unable to watch, Leaf breathed onto the glass to fog up the picture. Then she put her head into her hands and sighed.

Why did he have to be there?

Why did I have to be there?

Why did I not know what the party was even for?

Why, why, why?

So many questions…and no answers. So many mistakes…and no solutions. That was the life of this "Leaf Green."

She gazed at her faint reflection in the glass. She could see a lone tear make its way down her cheek, but just _because_, she pretended it was the condensation of the fog from earlier.

The scenery changed from lavish mansions and fields to a shadier part of town. Some buildings were in disrepair, the windows cracked and nailed over. Broken signs adorned the ground. The car weaved its way through the back passages, finally parking outside a particularly desolate building, if it could even be called that.

Leaf stomped into it hard enough for the fragile structure to shake.

_Everything_ had gone wrong with this mission. The client had promised a new life for her if she succeeded. She did not. She couldn't even find her target.

And then came Gary Oak, the king of mistakes. She had wasted the only valuable thing left on her person, the emerald necklace.

The emerald necklace, too, was part of it, she supposed. Then perhaps it was better that she had gotten rid of it? She remembered a day _so long ago_, when she was still living a happy life, when _he_ had given it to her.

Turned away but unable to hide the tips of his reddening ears, he had said to her, "Uh, I'm gonna 'lend' this to you. Keep it! Don't throw it away, or anything,"

And she had answered, "Never."

A broken promise, again. But then, that was what her life was all about, wasn't it? She slumped against the dirty, gray walls of the deserted construction.

She had promised herself that she would become a Trainer that would awe the world. She had broken that promise.

She had promised her mother that she would never let her down. She had broken that promise.

She had promised to stay a friend until "the sun never rises again." She had broken that promise, too.

_Why did Arceus hate her so much?_ No, that wasn't right; _why did I hate myself so much?_

~oOo~

Author's note: …and that was Chapter 4! I found that I can't continue really long stories, and the most is 7 or 8 chapters at the moment. So I decided to wrap this up quickly.

I'm planning to do a "strange" ending for this, as Pokestar Studios might say, but I could do an alternate "good" ending as a "what could have been" if anyone wants.

Thanks for reading!

Time Signature


	5. Last Deceptions

Fall in the Dark

A/N: Just a little more to go…

Chapter 5: Last Deceptions

~oOo~

Leaf found that she must have fallen asleep in the hallway somewhere over the course of the night, crying. She picked herself up and shaped her features into a more professional expression, because spies do not cry.

And then she remembers that she was going to her client's home.

She sighed; she really didn't want to do this. But she had to. Foolish girl, she berated herself, trying to make a name for herself. Hadn't I already learned the pains of that?

Throwing the dress down, for even looking at it brought back the mishaps of yesterday, she wrapped herself in a thick cloak and wearily stepped out of the building she called her "home." Her legs felt as though they had been replaced by lead poles.

The client lived in a much wealthier part of town, clearly shown by the architecture, the beautifully cut lawns, just by the atmosphere itself. She gazed longingly at the surroundings once before rapping on the door. She plodded on the carpet, dragging the hem of her coat. When the master of the house, also wearing a cloak, came down and sat down before her, she lowered her head and began to report.

"I…failed to accomplish the task."

_Now_ how would she be punished? She was expecting more than just having no payment at all. Instead, the man let out a heavy breath and raised the edge of his hood.

Leaf was dumbstruck…and at the same time felt a raging anger curling at the tips of her mind, threatening to burn.

"No…way!" she managed to gasp out.

Samuel Oak smiled at her apologetically, then started to explain the entire, elaborate plan he had set up.

"Of course you wouldn't; there is no such person in the first place."

Leaf bit her tongue hard to keep herself from shouting.

"I knew you were doing shady business, Leaf, and thought that you needed a better life. That's why I asked you to go to the party – to find my grandson."

Why would he do that? Mess up her life more than it already had been? But Leaf needed the rest of the information that he would provide.

"My grandson was broken, too, after you left without a trace. He finally found you after seven years, but he was afraid to go back to talk to you. He was afraid that it was his fault that you left."

Yeah, right. As if that would ever happen. Gary Oak does _not _care about the happenings of other people. Leaf let out a short, low laugh.

"And then, that's why I wanted you to go to Gary's engagement party. All I wanted was for you and Gary to be happy together."

Leaf maintained herself for a miraculous count of three seconds, and then jumped out of her seat. "_I don't need people meddling in my life!"_

She calmed down somewhat after that outburst. Then, heaving giant breaths, she managed to spit out, "I want nothing to do with him."

The senior looked saddened, but nodded his head slowly. After all, this was the most he could do; the final decisions were to be made by them. But he opened his mouth and said, "Leaf. Go to the party today. That's the last thing I ask of you."

The furious brunette acquiesced, just because he had done so much for her in the past.

"Fine. But that's the last thing I'll do."

As she stood up to go back, Samuel Oak called after her, "Think of the green dress as a gift. Keep it."

She bowed her head. After all, she did like it.

If Gary had heard this, he would be quite happy. It was he who had chosen it, but Leaf did not know that. But then again, he would never hear about it.

~oOo~

Author's note: Thanks for reading! That was a short Chapter 5. The next, or at most the one after that, will be the final chapter. If you're looking for a "happily ever after" story, turn back now. It will not end that way…I know I wrote "happy ending" in Chapter 2. I'm sorry, I lied. The story just started walking around on its own and chose the strange ending.

If you're still willing to read this, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Time Signature


	6. Bound Wings

Fall in the Dark

A/N: Last chapter!

Chapter 6: Bound Wings

~oOo~

Leaf donned the same gown as two days ago, but this time for a different reason. She gripped the fabric tightly to distract herself from the strange lightness around her neck. But still, she could not help but remember the pendant which had hung there just a while back.

She slipped one Poke-ball inside her dress, and tightening the straps of her shoes, she climbed into the car that the Professor had prepared for her. A sense of déjà vu washed over her.

Once the car drove up to the giant dance hall, she strode out with her head held high, because that was the only thing she could do to retain whatever she had left of her dignity. Looking around her, she saw a mop of bright green hair –her _former_ friend and Top Coordinator May had told her about a "rival" – and, wait, those people – those people – weren't they the past Champions of Hoenn and Sinnoh?

So many renowned people, and she was a simple girl, trying to claw her way out of the dark. She knew she was out of place, but Leaf tightened her hold on the dress, vowing that she would do this to keep her word.

She would keep her word at least once. At least once, because her life had been filled with lies. If she could not erase the mistakes she had made in the past, she would at least not make one today.

Another silent party. The silence laughed at her. The silence sounded louder than anything she had heard, overpowering her ears, seeping through her senses. The silence laughed at her.

There were many young women here, she noted. Right, it was a party to find _his_ future wife. She thought it odd that he hadn't married yet, but she did not know that he had been stalling to see if she would ever come back.

Leaf went to the banquet hall, where many small snacks and refreshments would be prepared, and picked a chocolate chip cookie from the edge of the table, instead of looking at all the exquisite desserts. The cookie was shaped into an oak leaf, and she broke it into half. Why was it that so many things reminded her of him?

Long before they had started out on their journeys, they had made juvenile promises to marry. And then he had commented, "When we marry and you change your name, and then switch the first and last name, it becomes 'Oak Leaf'! Cool, huh?" Coincidence, she told herself. Pure coincidence.

She returned to the main room, and after a while, _he_ stepped out onto the platform. A microphone was placed there, for that would be the only time anyone would speak during that party. Leaf, along with everyone else, turned to the stage – and their eyes met for a split second.

Gary tilted his head to the side almost invisibly, but Leaf could tell.

Leaf froze, and they stayed that way for a few moments. And then releasing herself, she made up her mind.

Curling her hands into a fist, the uncut and unmaintained nails cutting into her skin, she –

slid her eyes over to the ground, lowering her head.

And even though she did not see, she knew that he would understand. He had to.

He did.

And even though she had made that final decision, she still felt as though she was

falling,

falling,

and falling in the endless dark.

~oOo~

Author's note: …And cut! That concludes Fall in the Dark. Thanks for reading my first actual multi-chaptered story!

It's a shame that Fanfiction doesn't show indentation, though, because I used a lot of it for emphasis and expression.

Hope to see you again soon!

Thanks again,

Time Signature


End file.
